Chapter 8 - The Alliance
"Put him in the trunk," Roman commanded, his voice devoid of any human empathy. He didn't yell; the quiet, freezing frequency of his tone was infinitely more terrifying than a scream.
"Wait," Tessa interrupted, pushing herself up from the wet, freezing pavement. She stood tall, ignoring the agonizing pain in her bruised ribs, and locked eyes directly with the towering mafia boss. "If you kill him in a dark alley tonight, his loyal crew will just splinter, panic, and permanently hide the twelve million dollars he stole. You need to expose him in front of the entire criminal syndicate. You need to make a massive, unforgettable example out of him."
Roman looked back at Tessa. The brilliant, ruthless, incredibly calculated strategy coming from the woman in the torn, bloody maid uniform completely captivated him. The dangerous, crackling chemistry between them shifted violently from mutual, aggressive defiance into an intense, unbreakable, and entirely lethal alliance.
"You're absolutely right," Roman murmured, a dark, devastating, and deeply impressed smile touching his handsome lips.
He turned his gaze back to his massive bald enforcer. "Take Victor to the warehouse. Clean him up. Tell him I personally audited his wall safe tonight and found absolutely nothing wrong. Make him believe he successfully got away with the missing files."
Victor was aggressively dragged to the back of the armored SUV, sobbing in terrified, pathetic confusion as he was shoved into the vehicle.
Roman turned back to Tessa. He gently, respectfully took the heavy silver flash drive from her hand, his warm fingers briefly, electrifyingly brushing against hers.
"Tomorrow night is the annual, highly exclusive syndicate VIP gala," Roman stated, his voice dropping to a smooth, incredibly intimate frequency. "Victor will be there, playing the role of the perfect, loyal host in front of the cartel bosses. I want you standing right next to me when I completely tear his entire life apart."
Roman looked down at her ruined, bloody, and deeply humiliating brown uniform. He saw the incredible strength radiating from her battered frame.
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"Burn that dress," Roman ordered softly, his eyes filled with a simmering, dangerous respect. "I'll send a private car for you at exactly eight o'clock tomorrow night."
👉 Tessa walked away with her head held high, preparing to return to the restaurant not as a broken servant, but as a heavily armed queen.
